This Old House — Rethink, Reuse, Remodel (195)

Turn a century-old Seattle house into an efficient, energy-producing home using repurposed materials. Owner-builder Jim Bristow’s creativity extends to reclaiming dead spaces, jacketing his house with exterior insulation, and modernizing the kitchen with sleek previously used cabinetry and low-power LED lights. But he’s not stopping there. Along with maintaining a prolific front yard vegie garden, this green-minded guy is working with neighbors and the city to construct a storm water drainage and traffic circle at the nearby street intersection. Episode 195.

Wow. “Consume our way out of….” I greatly appreciate every new perspective that is voiced by our human community. For years, with all of the ‘green’ that is promoted in building, etc., I cannot but think that this is more marketing than substance – and, continued perpetuation of a consumer-driven approach to society. Further, as a person with chemical sensitivities, I find it tremendously distressing that our living structures, and virtually everything within them, are composed primarily of synthetic/toxic chemicals. Yet, in modernity, it hardly seems to occur to us to even question this – much less address such an overwhelming issue. Thank you, Jim, for your consciousness and ever-expanding nature of work that is reflective of this. And thank you Mia as well!